Electric switch with quenching liquid



Aug. 28, 1934. HAAG 1,971,403

ELECTRIC SWITCH WITH QUENCHING LIQUID Filed Oct. 23, v19:50

Patented Aug. 28, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Leonhard Haag,Franktort-on-the-Main, Ger- .many, assignor to Corporation of Woigt 8rHaeflncr Aktiengesellschaft, Frankfort on the-Main, Germany ApplicationOctober 23, 1930, Serial No. 490,735 In Germany August 28, 1929 N 10Claims. (Cl. 200-150) sages, but are held back by the constrictions Thisinvention relates to a switch in which the contact takes place above thesurface level of a quenching liquid and in which the are produced whenthe circuit is broken is drawn into the liquid,

5 so that the gases thereby produced can easily escape in an upwarddirection.

According to the invention a constriction or inwardly projecting flangeis provided on the side of a hollow body in which the co-operatingswitch 0 members are arranged. The constriction is provided beneath thestationary switch member, and therefore the gases and vapours arisingfrom the breaking of the circuit within the quenching liquid cannotescape immediately through the hollow body, but are held back by theconstriction therein, so that the pressure below the constriction rises.The compressed gases and vapours escaping through the constriction areblown into the arc, extinguishing the same immediately.

One constructional example of the invention consisting of twoseries-connected cut-out devices is illustrated in sectional elevationin the accompanying drawing.

Through a plate a, there project two hollowbodies or tubular vessels band b containing a quenching liquid 1' e. g. water. Both the hollowbodies, which are provided with baiiles y,- have constrictions s and aformed by transverse partitions close above the surface of the liquid. Y

Through these hollow bodies I) and I; pass the leading in and leadingout conductors m and m provided at their ends with stationary switchmembers or contact pieces I and I, which are in the form of sleeves orsockets. A conducting switch cross bar d mounted on and actuated by aninsulating rod p carries the movable switch memhere 8, which are in theform of pins orplugs entering the sleeves f and f.

The invention is distinguished by the fact that large powers can beswitched off by it in an exceedingly short time and in a satisfactorymanner. This may be explained in somewhat the following manner.

Owing to'the fact that the switch members are so arranged that contacttakes place above the liquid surface, and the are that occurs uponswitching off is drawn into the liquid, the removal of the vapoursproduced by and hindering the breaking of the circuit within thequenching liquid is facilitated, and yet'a rapid quenching of the arc.isat the same time obtained by the liquid.

cooling it. The vapours arising from the breaking of the circuit cannothowever escape immediately through the constrictions s and ,s of thehollow bodiesb and 1) serving as discharge pastherein, so that thepressure below the constrictions or nozzles s and s rises. there isproduced a strong current of gases and vapours through the constructionss and s which is blown into the arc and extinguishes the sameimmediately. The baflies g serve merely as a protection against liquidparticles being thrown out, and for the cooling of the vapours thatescape.

The upper parts of the tubular members b and b form funnelorchimney-like means of exit for the extraordinarily hot and rapidlystreaming gases'and vapours escaping through the constrictions of thesaid members. The upper parts of the members b and b prevent damagebeing caused by said gases and vapours and the flashing over of the arcto bodies which may be placed in the neighbourhood of the switch. Thehollow bodies b and I) should be filled preferably with a quenchingliquid which develops a large quantity of gas and vapour when the arc isdrawn into it. The switch according to this invention acts like acompressed-gas switch but produces the gas stream blowing out the are bydecomposition of the quenching liquid. The nozzles s and s closelysurround the rods e so that the parts of the tubular members b and 1)below the nozzles being adapted to serve as pressure chambers are closedvery tight as long as the rods 6 have not been withdrawn from saidnozzles.

What I claim is:--

1. An electric switch comprising stationary and movable switch members,a hollow body closed at the bottom and containing a quenching liquid,the said hollow body surrounding and enveloping the stationary andmovable switch members, a constriction in the hollow body, thestationary switch member being arranged above the liquid surface andabove the constriction, and the movable switch member extending upwardsthrough the constriction to make contact with the stationary switchmember and being adapted to be withdrawn downwards through theconstriction when the switch is opened, thereby drawing the are throughthe constriction into the liquid.

2. An electric switch comprising tubular bodies closed at the bottom andcontaining a quenching liquid, stationary and movable switch memberswithin the said bodies, the stationary switch members being arrangedabove the surface of the quenching liquid, the movable switch membersbeing adapted to make contact with the stationary switch members and tobe moved downwards to open the switch, each of the tubular bodies havingan inwardly projecting flange ar- By this pressure ranged. beneeth thestati and apertures in these lice ce in line witl pi'itli of movementoi? the movable switch mil bore, the distance between the stationeryswil. M members and the apertures within the flanges ing less than thelength. oi the ore occurring the switch opens.

31 An electric switch comprising hollow bodies closed at the bottom andcor teining a quencbii liquid, stationary switch lllel. hers arranged inthe hollow bodies above the stu'foce of quenching liquid, movable switchmembers tending upwards througlri the quenching 1 wt n the hollow bodiesedented to contact with the stationery switch members i to be moveddownwards to open the switch, a constriction in each of longed under thestation closely sllll'fllllldlllg' the n ov the distance between thestatiom v switch bers and these constrictions l cg less than length oithe are formed when the switch switched oil.

4. An electric switch comprising a tubnltir member containing aquenching liquid, o stationary switch member in the form oi a socket, c.I'lllIlV able switch member in the form oi a plug adopted to engagetherewith, the tubulor i iember rounding the socket and the plug, e.constriction in the tubular member below, the socket, the diameter ofthe constriction being substantially equal to the diameter of the plug,this plug esw tending upwards through the constriction to make contactwith the socket above the liquid surface and being adapted to bewithdrawn. downwards out of the constriction when the switch is opened,and the distance between the socket and the constriction beingless thanthe length of the are formed when the switch opens.

5. An electric switch comprising co-operatlng contact pieces mounted tomoire contact with. one another in air, one of the said contact pi resbeing formed by a plug a tubulor exhaust mereber surrounding andenveloping both said contact pieces, a. vessel filled with quenchingliquid arranged below the point of contact of the contact pieces, thesaid vessel being joined to the said tubular exhaust member and beingclosed above the liquid surface with the exception of an openingconcentric with the path of move ment of the plug, the lateral walls ofthis opening closely surrounding the plug, and the distance between thesaid point 01' contact and the said opening being less than the lengthof the are occurring as the switch opens.

tcli memo switch Inei on electric switch comprising c, tubular member, ohorizontal portition in the sold. mern bet, on opening in the nortitionforming e. norzle, co o eroting contact pieces mounted to incite contoctwith one smother above the partition, the no. it oi contest of thecontact being sur-- rounded by cir, and the space below the partitionbeing filled with o ouenc ling liquid, one of the contoct pieces beingformed by a plug and inovciblc through the nozzle, and the distance isen the noodle and the point oi contoct of t con-tot nieces being than.the length of the ore occurring the switch UpeIlEn in mi electric switchcomprising on at top, o stationery cor-toot .i

sold chamber, o movable contcct rod co- 4 with said statione y contactcit." moved downw to pen ti on, lateral wells of said choinbe e.ovelo,i--- inc, both said stationery contact and contact rod, the point ofcontact being surrounded by vessel. containing a quenching liquid belowi sensretedfroni on 01361111., i b. in partition concentric with thepail, oi :ino'veinent of said rod, the lateral of said opening closelysurrounding the said rod, and the distance between the said point ofcontact and said opening being less than the length of the are occurringas the switch opens.

il on electric switch comprising a vessel closed at its top andcontaining a quenching liquid, a bore in the top of the said vessel, acontact plug adapted to be moved downwards extending through the saidbore, the diameter of the said plug being substantially equal to thediameter oi the sold bore, a stationary contact arranged on the outsideof the sold vessel co-operating with the sold contact plug, the saidstationery contact being surrounded by air, the distance between thesaid stationary contact and the said bore being less than the length ofthe are formed when the switch opens, and a tubular exhaust member abovethe said vessel surrounding said stationary contact.

5. An electric switch as claimed in claim 7, wherein the lateral wallsof the chamber enveloping the contacts are integral with those of thevessel containing the quenching liquid.

ll). An electric switch as claimed in claim 8, wherein the vesselcontaining the quenching liquid is integral with the tubular memberabove the said vessel.

vessel by a horizotal part1? LEONHARD HAAG.

